The house at Rue Ernest Solvay 32 in Brussels has been beautifully restored by two young architects.
Built in 1904 by the architect Victor Taelemans as his personal home, the house features elegant art nouveau details including an arched front door and an ornate balcony. But it became neglected. The façade was covered in grime.
The architects Justine Cousin and Laetitia de La Motte have restored the façade to the way it looked in 1904. They studied original plans along with old photographs to get every detail correct.
The grime has now been blasted off to reveal delicate art nouveau details as well as the architect’s signature carved on a stone to the left.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
